Question: How do I know if I should surrender to the divine and “go with the flow” or fight for what I want and overcome obstacles?
Sri Prabhuji – Let us understand “surrender”. What is the meaning of surrender? Surrender is accepting a given situation – however good or bad it is. We have to understand that situations in our life is result of totality of existence functioning. You can call this totality of existence as God/Ishwara/Universe. The situations will keep changing in life be it weather, financial conditions, job or disease like corona. In other words external conditions in our life keeps changing and we don’t have control on what happens in our life due to external conditions.
How do we face life in such a situation. We have to maintain calmness in any circumstances in life. How can you be calm in the presence of storm. “Acceptance” is the key. Accepting anything happening in our life is functioning of totality of existence – God’s play/gift is the real acceptance of life. Once you accept calmly, you will be able to act reasonably – this is the meaning of surrender. Surrender is inner state of mind. Surrender is not about external action. When you surrender internally, your mind is calm and with the background of calmness in the mind appropriate action can be chosen. This is the real meaning of surrender.
What is the other alternative? Most of the people react to the situation in life instead of accepting. Reaction is programmed behavior/conditioned response rather than appropriate response.
The question about fighting/accepting does not arise when there is surrender. Any situation is neutral event – neither good/nor bad. When we label the situation already we are biased. Any biased perception will lead to reaction/inappropriate action. All events and situations are neutral and impersonal. Good or bad, fight or flight are not the questions – these are based on labelling of situation. Acceptance involves no labelling of situation as good/bad/fight or flight. Acceptance is internal while situation is external. Labelling is based on conditioned habit patterns. When you drop labelling and accept situation, appropriate action will happen. With that calmness of mind if you have to fight you will fight, you have to run, you will run. The key is acceptance, non-labelling, non-judgement and appropriate action.